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UPDATE 2-Sanofi, Bristol say settle Plavix patent suit

..."This is big news especially if they can craft a settlement with Dr Reddy's," said Taylor McGowan, portfolio manager at Farr, Miller & Washington, noting that the world's second biggest selling prescription drug accounts for about 20 percent of Bristol-Myers sales.

"The news is also good for big pharma in general as one of trends in recent years is generic companies setting out to sell drugs potentially years before the patents actually expire on the branded products," McGowan said.

Under terms of the proposed Apotex settlement, Sanofi-Aventis would grant Apotex a royalty-bearing license to sell clopidogrel bisulfate in the United States once the patent expires in 2011.

Clopidogrel is the chemical name for Plavix.

Plavix is by far the biggest product for the drugmakers, with Bristol reporting about $3.8 billion in 2005 U.S.

Plavix sales, and the possibility that it could lose patent protection had been a huge uncertainty hanging over them.

The drug had 2005 worldwide sales approaching $6 billion, according to data released by IMS Health Inc.

(RX.N: Quote, Profile, Research) Continued ...

� Reuters 2006.

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UPDATE 2-Sanofi, Bristol say settle Plavix patent suit